It's part of an effort by the Rocky Mountain High School student-initiated Cultural Arms Club to 'embrace the cultures.'

Jan. 28, 2013

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Rocky Mountain High School senior Nuha Kapatayes had butterflies in her stomach Monday as she recited the first words of the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic — a language she learned as a child and now speaks fluently — over the school’s public address system during morning announcements.

Then calm replaced nerves and, almost as quickly as it had started, it was done.

Kapatayes is one among a couple dozen members of the student-initiated Cultural Arms Club, which seeks to “destroy the barriers, embrace the cultures” that exist at not just Rocky Mountain High School, but also within the community. Members in November recited the Pledge in Spanish, sparking intense debate about whether saying the words of the Pledge in any language other than English was unpatriotic.

Despite “rude” comments from classmates who disagreed with the November recital and anticipated “resistance” this week, Cultural Arms Club members decided to go forward with translating the Pledge into Arabic. They have plans for translating it into American Sign Language, Korean and possibly Chinese.

“No matter what language it’s said in, pledging your allegiance to the United States is the same in every language,” said sophomore CAC member Skyler Bowden.

Echoed fellow member and sophomore Luis Reyes: “It’s going to open doors to other people’s cultures. It’s going to make Rocky a more diverse place.”

Within hours of Kapatayes’ recital, the school had received feedback from unhappy parents. And while she expected the club might hear complaints, Kapatayes hadn’t, by Monday afternoon, heard negative reaction from peers.

“I hope people will see it not as a negative way, not an offensive way,” she said, “but as a way of accepting diversity and accepting the people of diverse backgrounds.”